Project TIDES

Broadening participation for all in STEM.

About

A photo of a student working on a science project.

Project TIDES (Teaching and Inclusion for Disability Equity in STEM) is an innovative postdoctoral training program funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation providing early-career scholars with mentoring and professional development that centers the full inclusion of all persons in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning and work. The innovation of Project TIDES is to train researchers with robust knowledge and skill in both inclusive education and STEM education. Led by a disabled researcher whose work focuses on the science of broadening participation for all students, a group of three TIDES Fellows will pursue fundamental research on systematic interventions designed to boost participation in STEM.

Project TIDES includes four related activities that define its research training and professional development plans:

Triadic Mentoring: Intentional mentoring where each postdoctoral scholar will be supported by two established scholars, one whose work focuses primarily on STEM teaching and learning, and one whose work focuses on full-inclusion of all learners.
Professional Development: Workshops, short-duration training courses, journal clubs and more will be designed to expose Project TIDES fellows to the broader landscape of cutting-edge scholarship related to the science of broadening participation and/or supporting all learners.
Independent Research: Supportive mentorship related to postdoctoral scholar-initiated independent research with funding available for pilot projects.
Team Science: Participation in existing University of Maine research teams and/or projects focused on the science of broadening participation.